Tanzania
TANZANIA: 10 – 20 OCTOBER 2025
The Ocean Census is joining the FAO on it’s Tanzania Expedition. This Ocean Census participant expedition will see one scientist from the Ocean Census Science Network working alongside the FAO to explore the seabed of Tanzania and record the diversity of the benthic habitat and fishes found at mesophotic depths.
Mission Guide
This Ocean Census participant expedition will see Dr. Clara Diaz, a postdoctoral Research fellow at the university of Plymouth, from the Ocean Census Science Network working alongside the The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) team to explore benthic habitats off the coast of Tanzania. The objective of the expedition is to map the seabed of Tanzania and record the diversity of the benthic habitat, onboard the R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen. The expedition team will also record the diversity of fishes from the upper-mesophotic to the deep sea, with depths of more than 600m.
Mission facts
Dates
10 October – 20 October 2025
Duration
10 days
Location
Tanzania
Type
Participant
Image credits
François Baelen & Fabrice Dudenhofer / Ocean Image Bank
Mission brief
This expedition is part of The Nansen Programme, a joint initiative of The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Norway and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Its objective was to help newly independent states improve food security by identifying resources in their seas and oceans to support the development of their fisheries. The research vessel, Dr Fridtjof Nansen was built for the programme, serving as a laboratory for research, training and the exchange of knowledge.
The Ocean Census is supporting Dr. Clara Diaz, a postdoctoral Research fellow at the University of Plymouth, where she investigates the ecology and resilience of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs). During the expedition off the coast of Tanzania, Clara will focus on the taxonomy of benthic species found at mesophotic depths. She will also help with any other activity that occur onboard, which can be focused on fisheries, microplastics, eDNA, sedimentology, oceanography, habitat mapping.
We will collaborate with our participant scientist and the FAO to share stories, announcements, and discoveries.
Be sure to follow @oceancensus and @FAO on social media to keep up to date with this fascinating expedition.
Mission Partners
Expedition
Highlights
Participant Expeditions
Ocean Census supports a range of expeditions and opportunities for scientists to get onboard, helping to add capacity to species discovery worldwide.
Participant Expeditions give specialists from our Science Network and media experts the opportunity to join expeditions led by our Partners, gain at-sea skills, and exchange knowledge with other professionals.
Find out more and get involved by joining our Science Network today.
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